Shane Lowry puts a brave face on temper outburst

With good reason, Shane Lowry admitted to embarrassment and shame and letting family and friends down after an outburst of temper during yesterday’s second round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open probably cost him the chance of capturing the title for the second time in six years.

Lowry banged his putter against a metal pole as he walked off the 12th green (his third hole) and knocked it so much out of shape that it was no longer fit for purpose. From then on, he coped as best he could on the greens with a sand wedge with which he enjoyed a degree of success. Nevertheless, a round of 74 for four over left him a long way off the pace and somewhat red-faced under his thick and flourishing beard.

“I just got frustrated, that’s the way I am, a bit hot-headed at times”, the burly Offalyman accepted, before stressing: “But I’m not going to try to change, that’s the kind of player I am and I think it’s a part of what has me where I am today. Obviously I need to calm it down a little bit at times, you can’t do stupid things like that.”